Wake Up And Smell The Lilacs

For the first time in days I can smell again … and what a wonderful fragrance to wake up to. The air is dripping with the syrupy sweet spring smell of lilacs. It will be short lived so I’m glad to have recovered my olfactory sense just in time for the crescendo.



Looking up the drive (actually, it looks pretty much the same in all directions this time of year.)

Yesterday turned out to be a poor day for a ride and this morning looked almost as gloomy so I decided to polish the bike then take a walk on the wild side. I have found a Loon nesting close by the roadside at the lake and I’ve been visiting her daily.

She sits quietly, hidden by the rushes, only moving her head silently to keep watch. Hubby is usually swimming further out on the lake.

She had other visitors today. This Red Winged Blackbird dropped by to admire his reflections at the water's edge.
 
So I didn’t ride and it didn’t rain, sometimes that happens … but I’ve enjoyed the day. Washed and polished the bike ready for the sun, caught some polywogs with my son and granddaughter, planted some flowers and just relaxed...it was a holiday Monday, what’s not to enjoy! Happy May Two-Four (even if it happend on the Two-Oh this year!)

 

“A sure cure for what ails ya!”

 

The Stars pick up date has been delayed by miserable weather; rain and hail, wind and cold, and I have been afflicted with a cold. It’s not just an ordinary cold but a stop the world, I am incapacitated, my mother told me to go to the doctor, of course I ignored her, there is no cure for the common cold – cold!

Today I finally arrived at KTec to pick her up and no one paid any attention to me as I stuffed the bags full of my work day paraphernalia. I had already paid for the oil change on Monday when I stopped by to let them know my death by cold was imminent and I didn’t want to leave an outstanding debt (really I didn’t want to sneeze, cough, drip or drool in the new helmet.) So, without fanfare I was ready to ride - sort of, after all it’s been 7 months.

So, after 7 months …“I forgot how much stuff I have to wear. Really, I didn’t bring my socks, how could I forget my socks? Do I remember how to ride this thing?  I don’t think it feels as heavy as it did last year. Freak, it’s not going to start – right, it’s cold, it’s a Yamaha - where the heck did the choke go?” Chu, chu, chu, Bruum, bruum!  I eased out the clutch and rolled, ever so gently, on the throttle … “Am I going to make it out of the parking lot without dropping it? Crap, I should have picked a different day – what was I thinking, Friday night on a long weekend? Am I in third gear or fourth. Man, it’s been a long 7 months. Did I cancel the signal light, oh ya, I did – but I think I’ll do it again just to be sure. If I cough in the new helmet will the germs stay there all summer, hey my nose stopped running.  Is the new helmet going to be too much of a distraction for the first ride? Better take that throughway behind the shopping centre to get a few curves in before I have a serious corner to take. Traffic – what was I thinking! Oh yeah, I’m all alone inside my helmet again, I’ve got way too much time to think. Hey, I like this new helmet, it isn’t distracting at all (as a matter of fact it’s quieter and I’ve got better mobility, I’m going to have to blog about that.) Yeah! I made it home!"

As I opened the door one last time tonight to look at her, I swear I could almost smell the lilacs – almost. Maybe, just maybe, bringing a motorcycle home can cure the common cold.

Take two wheels along with a healthy dose of sunshine, double digit temperatures, add in a Friday night (on a long weekend) and it’s sure to “cure what ails ya!”

Shoeless On The Porch ....

 

I have visions of  summer dancing in my head as I write this post, sitting shoeless, on the porch. I have no idea what the temperature is right now but I know that it is 9:30 and I'm comfortable sitting outside, listening to a symphony of frogs, raccoons and other nocturnal choristers.

No motorcycle ride today, it's booked for release next week, but I was glad I had the chance to walk by the water, not my lake, but the big water - Lake Ontario.

It's getting dark out here ... and it's a little bit spooky. Time to go inside. Hope your day was as glorious as mine.

Long Shot For Rogey

Reposted for Rogey - Good Luck!

 

In 1973 when Ted Simon was riding his Trumphy around the world he bumped into a kiwi bloke called Ian Shaw, who was doing a similar trip but in reverse. This meeting took place in East Africa.  All we do know is that Ian was originally from Hamilton.

A good friend of mine is trying to track him down, and to find out what happened to him.  As this meeting took place some 40 years this is no mean feat.  So using the power of the web,  I am sending out this blog in the hope it may trigger some body who may know Ian  and lead us in the right direction.

I am hoping a few of my blog followers would be so kind to share this blog also, that it may reach as many people as possible.

This picture is the only picture we have of him ,  and it was kindly supplied by Ted Simon himself.

Any information any one may have would be greatly appreciated.

You can contact me on raftn@xtra.co.nz